The book offers insight and perspective on why Project Management Offices (PMOs) fail and offers a new philosophy on setting up a PMO that is driven by specific business needs, fulfills a mandate, achieves a defined set of objectives and can be measured for business value to the stakeholders. This is different from the typical and most well-known philosophy of setting up a PMO that is aligned to general standards of program and project management practice. The author also provides a variety of PMO success stories from various industries, sizes and types of PMOs.

The author provides a very distinct and convincing view for setting up a PMO based on business driven needs no matter the type of PMO whether it be an enterprise wide PMO or a smaller PMO for a specific division of a company. There are very clear examples on why PMOs fail when they are simply based on project management tools, techniques and processes without any link to company objectives or needs. There are also very clear examples of PMOs that succeed when they are set up with a flexible adaptation of project management tools, techniques and processes with clear goals and objectives aligned to the business strategy.

Editor’s note: This book review was the result of cooperation between the publisher, PM World and the Dallas Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI Dallas Chapter – www.pmidallas.org). Publishers provide the books to PM World; books are delivered to the PMI Dallas Chapter, where they are offered free to PMI members to review; book reviews are published in the PM World Journal and PM World Library. PMI members can receive PDUs for PMP recertification by reviewing PM books. PMI Dallas Chapter members are generally mid-career professionals, the audience for most project management books. If you are an author or publisher of a project management-related book, and would like the book reviewed through this program, please contact [email protected].

About the Reviewer

Michelle Hesler, PMP

Texas, USA

Michelle Hesler, PMP is a Project Management professional with over 15 years’ experience in delivering software applications targeted to ERP and Financial Systems with a proven track record of managing projects and teams in varying degrees of size and maturity level. She started as a practicing CPA auditor, evolving into the role of Assistant Controller for a major credit card bank where she was introduced to the world of Project Management to implement the organization’s ERP system. Since then, she was a leading IT Project Manager for Pepsico, Inc and currently is employed with Essilor of America (leading manufacturer of prescription lenses) as an IT Project Manager. She is a member of the Dallas Chapter of PMI.

Michelle lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, daughter and son and enjoys outdoor activities, house remodeling, reading and traveling. Email: [email protected]

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